Antzaat – The Black Hand of the Father (Review)

Here we have 22 minutes of cold, occult black metal, screaming out of the second wave with melodic malice and bile. The passion that the band inject into their music is palpable, and the delivery is just as powerful.

As I say, it’s hard to dislike something like this.

The band also contains a member of the very enjoyable Ars Veneficium, which is another point in their favour.

Yep, Antzaat seem to be well on their way to making a mark in an overcrowded scene with this. Whether they do or not is another issue, but if they don’t then it certainly won’t be for the lack of trying.

These songs feature just the right amounts of scathing aggression, esoteric melodies, and frosted atmosphere, all balanced well against each other so that the end result is a very enjoyable collection of tracks. Sometimes the band focus more on one aspect than the other, maybe assaulting the listener with a tide of blast beats one moment, before swamping them with dark melodies the next.

It’s clear that this is a band with a firm aim in mind, and this is an EP that comes across as very focused and determined. This has resulted in the creation of efficient and effective music that wastes no time on pointless filler, instead preferring to get right down to the business of black metal; this is obviously a business that Antzaat know inside and out. If you think of a form of concise, refined Swedish style, then you’ll be in the right area.

Featuring both instant appeal gratification, as well as replay-value atmosphere and depth, this is a very strong release. If you’re a fan of classic late 90s black metal then you can’t go wrong with The Black Hand of the Father.